THE BANISHMENT OF NIGHT 



foul-smelling lamp had been discovered, it remained in 

 use, practically without change or improvement, until 

 the end of the twelfth century, the date of the inven- 

 tion of the candle. Such lamps were used by the Greeks 

 and Romans, great quantities of them being still pre- 

 served. They were simply shallow, saucer-like vessels 

 for holding the oil, into which the wick was laid, so ar- 

 ranged that the upper end rested against the edge of the 

 vessel. Here the oil burned and smoked, capillarity 

 supplying oil to the burning end of the wick, which was 

 pulled up from time to time as it became shortened by 

 burning, either with pincers made for the purpose, or 

 perhaps more frequently by the ever useful hairpin of 

 the matron. 



As the thick wick did not allow the air to penetrate 

 to burn the carbon of the oil completely, a nauseous 

 smoke was given off constantly which was stifling when 

 a draught of air prevented its escape through the hole in 

 the roof the only chimney used by the Greeks. And 

 since this was the only kind of lamp known at the time, 

 the palace of the Roman Emperor and hut of the Roman 

 peasant were necessarily alike in their methods of lighting 

 if in little else. The Emperor's lamps might be modeled 

 of gold and set with precious stones, while those of the 

 peasant were of rudely modeled clay; but each must 

 have evoked, along with its dim light, an unwholesome 

 modicum of smoke and malodor. 



It was this form of lamp, practically unaltered ex- 

 cept occasionally in design, that remained in common use 

 during the Middle Ages; and when, at the close of the 

 twelfth century, the " tallow candle" was invented, 



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